Former Leicester man pleads guilty to 2003 statutory rape in Spencer

WORCESTER — A former Leicester man was sentenced to 4 to 6 years in state prison Friday after pleading guilty to charges of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2003 in Spencer.

Shayne Beardsely, 32, formerly of 1184 Main St., Leicester, pleaded guilty in Worcester Superior Court to two counts of statutory rape and was sentenced by Judge James R. Lemire to two concurrent prison terms of 4 to 6 years.

The sentences are to be served concurrently with each other and with a 12 to 20-year sentence imposed on Mr. Beardsely in 2012 in Rockingham County, N.H., after he was convicted there of sexual assault charges involving the same victim, according to Assistant District Attorney Courtney L. Sans.

The sentences imposed Friday by Judge Lemire were recommended by Ms. Sans and Mr. Beardsely's lawyers, Michael G. Cashman and Robert Iacovelli. The judge said he would recommend that the sentences be served in New Hampshire.

The plea hearing was conducted by way of video conferencing. The judge and lawyers were in the courtroom and Mr. Beardsely participated remotely from the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction in West Boylston, where he had been brought from New Hampshire to resolve the Massachusetts charges.

Ms. Sans said the victim did not disclose the sexual assaults by Mr. Beardsely until 2010.